The Director at the Novi Sad based Center for Regionalism, Aleksandar Popov, said today that Serbia is acting contrary to common sense and is sending a message when it comes to the forthcoming referendum in Macedonia, informs Meta’s correspondent from Belgrade.
-To Serbia as a neighboring country, it should be of interest to have stable relations in the region and it is certain that the achievement of the agreement between Greece and Macedonia is one step forward in this direction. Serbia’s behavior is the opposite of common sense because Serbia should be happy for the normalization of the relations in the region – said Popov for Beta agency.
Popov said that official Serbia has sent the first “bad message” when Zoran Zaev came to power because the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) had very good relations with the previous government that was led by right-wing party VMRO-DPMNE.
-It is obvious that the current government in Macedonia is neither close with the SNS nor it suits them. Unlike other countries, Serbia didn’t congratulate the achieving the agreement between Tsipras and Zaev about the name of the country. Following that, we had a case when the whole personnel of the Serbian Embassy in Skopje was withdrawn without explanation – said Popov.
Popov also said neither the appointment of the former Head of the Serbian Secret Service Rade Bulatovic for an Ambassador in Macedonia is a message in a good direction. He also said that the opinions that Serbia has been acting in Macedonia for the benefit of Russia in order to prevent Macedonia to become a NATO member, are not without ground